I have to say, I was thrilled when I woke up to rain. It was the perfect excuse to stay indoors. Our weather this summer has been hot and dry, which means that most of my days have been spent recently, working on outdoor projects. I'm good at projects for a while, but these have gone on far too long -- they have to end! With the luxury of time in my kitchen today, I caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, and baked Cornmeal-Walnut Biscotti. The vegetables were for a Pissaladière -- a Provencal "pizza". And the Cornmeal-Walnut Biscotti -- well, I made those for a little treat with espresso in the afternoon, and as a mid-morning snack, but most importantly, to pair with a cappuccino when I first get up in the morning! I'm a big fan of cornmeal and walnuts, so these biscotti are pretty perfect as far as I'm concerned. The recipe is from Field Guide to Cookies by Anita Chu and I found it through David Lebovitz -- David's adapted recipe here.

And after the Cornmeal-Walnut Biscotti came out of the oven, I made an Espresso Con Panna. I've been hooked on these recently... TO MAKE: Pour about 1/4 cup cold, heavy cream into a small bowl. Using a small whisk, beat the cream until it starts to thicken -- you do not want it whipped into peaks, just thickened. Place the bowl of cream in the refrigerator to keep chilled and make a double espresso. Spoon the cream on top. I love the contrast of the hot espresso with the cold, thickened cream floating on top -- delicious! And be sure to serve a cornmeal biscotti alongside.